Hand-rest



(No Model.)

E. E. FREDERICK.

' HAND REST.

No. 467,991. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

F732. so

van mums News co., moro-umm wAsmNc-ron, n. c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVIN E. FREDERICK, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAN D-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,991, dated February 2, 1892.

Application filed November 25, 1891. Serial No. 413,097. (No model.)

Z' 0 all whom t may concern..-

Be it known that I, EDWIN E. FREDERICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allegheny, in the. county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Hand-Rest, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stationery, and more especially to devices known as handrests.

The object of the invention is to produce an improved rest of this character adapted to stand normally flush with the desk or table top or to be moved when desired, so as to mbring its upper face in line with the page of a thick book upon whichit is desired to write. This object I accomplish'by the construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of. a desk, showing a book thereon and my improved rest in position for use. Fig. l is an enlarged section through the desk top and the rest, showing the latter as out of its operative position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my de vice alone, showing it in dotted lines as being opened and in full lines as having been opened. Fig. l is a perspective detail of parts slightly separated. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig.

Referring to the said drawings, i designates the top of a table ordesk wherein is cut a groove 2, extending from a point at the lower edge upwardly across the top from the position occupied by the writer, as shown, and in this groove is preferably seated a basepiece 3, whose body is of U-shaped cross-section, and which has flanges 4 along its upper edges secured by screws 5, so to stand flush with the face of the table-top.

l0 is an arm of inverted-U'shaped cross section and pivoted at ll at its inner end in the lower end of the base-piece on a trans- Verse pin, and in the outer end ot' this arm 'Ona pin l2 is mounted a block 13, having a notch 14.

l5 is a spring-actuated catch having a foot i6, adapted to engage this notch when the block stands at proper position in the outer end of the arm, which end is cut away, as at 17, topperinit the turning of the block on its be turned axially or moved longitudinally and set, as desired, by a thumb-screwvl, and the upper end of this rod is squared and bifurcated, as at 22. Vithin the bifurcation stands a pin 23, its lower end moving in a recess 2d in the body of the rod and being pressed upwardly by a spring 25, and 2G is a laterally-projecting handle carried by this pin and extending through a slot 27 to the exterior of the rod, whereby the pin may be retracted to overcome the force of the spring when desired.

30 is the hand-rest proper, which consists of a plate having a lip 3l projecting from its front or lower edge and turned down, and also having an ear 32 projecting from the center of its bottom, mounted on a pivot 33 in the bifurcated end of the rod, and having a number of notches or sockets 3l in its rounded lower edge, one of which is adapted to be engaged by the spring-actuated pin. The pivot between this ear and the rod is located about as shown, and the upper ends of the arms of the bifurcation 22 are square at one corner 35 and rounded at their other corner 36, whereby a knuckle-joint is formed that prevents the turning of the plate downward farther than to a right angle with the rod. Ilowever, if desired, the square corner can be omitted, so that the plate can turn completely over the pivot and will be held by the spring-pin.

In the normal position of parts t-he device stands as seen in Fig. 2, wherein the arm is folded into the basepiece to the rear. The rod is folded toward the front into the arm, the bifurcated end and the ear passing also into said arm, and the plate rests either on the tabletop or in a shallow mortise therein which is made to receive it, as shown, the lip passing over the lower edge of the table-top and standing in position for easy access. Then it is desired to use this device, the operator grasps the lip, raises the front edge ot the plate, turning the block around its pivot, and then draws the plate toward him, Fig. 3 illustrating the position of parts at this time. When the arm has turned completelyover its IOO pivot, so as to stand in alignment with the base-piece, the block is turned on its pivot in the outer end of the arm until the springcatch engages the notch in the block, when the rod will be vertical. Said rod is then adjusted to the proper height and the thumbscrew tightened to hold it there, and the handle is then borne down to retract the springpin, the plate set at the desired angle, and the handle released, so that the spring-pin holds the plate in this position. v

The various parts of this device are preferably of some cheap but strong metal suitably finished and ornamented, as by nickeling, painting, or the like. The base-piecemay be omitted, if desired, and the arm pivoted directlyin the groove in the desk-top, and other changes in and elaboration of the details of construction maybe made without departing from the spirit of my-invention.

The device is simple, inexpensive, and convenient, It can be made and sold as an ar- 111016. of manufacture aud easily applied to the v tops of desks already in use, and its advantages will be at once apparent to the Vbookkeeper, who is often called upon to make entries in his books near the lower edge of the table-top o r near the lower edge of a leaf,

which is raised by the thickness lof a book to sonne distance above the table-top.

What is to be claimed as newisl. A hand-rest comprising a grooved basepiece secured to a desk, a grooved arm pivoted at one end to and with its body normally resting in said base-piece, its other end being recessed, a block pivoted in the recessed end and having a notch, a spring-actuated catch adapted to engage said notch, a cylindrical rod 'passing loosely through said block and having a bifurcate'd upper en d with one corner rounded and the other square, a thumbscrew in said block bearing against said rod, a plate having a central depending ear pivoted in lthe bifurcated end concentric with the rounded corner, the ear having a rounded edge containing notches and a spring-actuated pin mounted in the bifurcations normally engaging one of said notches and having an operating-handle projecting through a slot in one arm of the bifurcation, all as and for the purpese .Set forth- 2 A hand-rest comprising a grooved basepiece, a grooved arm pivoted at one end to and with its body normally resting in said base-piece, a block pivoted in the other end of the arm and havinganotch, aspring-actuated catch adapted to engage said notch, a cylindrical rod passing loosely through said block, a thumb-screw in the block bearing against the rod, the upper end of the latter being bifurcated, and a plate having an ear pivct'ed in said bifurcation, as and for the purpose set forth.

` 3 A hand-rest comprising a grooved basepiece, a grooved arm pivoted at one end to Aand with its body normally resting in said base-piece, a block pivoted in the other end of the arm and having a notch, a spring-actuated catch adapted to engage said notch, a rod rising from said block and having a bifurcated upper end, a plate having an ear pivoted in said bifurcation and notched on its rounded lower edge, and a spring-actuated pin adapted to engage one of said recesses, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A hand-rest comprising a grooved basepiece, a grooved arm pivoted at one end to and with its body normally resting in said base-piece, a block pivoted in the other end of the arm, a springactuated catch adapted to hold said block normally in one position, a rod rising from the block and having a bifurcated upper end with one corner square and the other corner rounded, and a plate having a depending ear pivoted in said bifui-cation ,concentric with the rounded corner, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A hand-rest comprising a grooved basepiece, an arm pivoted at one end to said basepiece, a rod carried by the other end of the arm and having a bifurcate'd upper end, a plate having a depending ear pivoted in said bifurcation and with its rounded lower edge notched, and a spring-actuated pin normally engaging one of Asaid notches, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A hand-rest comprising a grooved basepiece adapted to be set intothe upper face of a desk top, a grooved arm mounted on a transverse pivot near the lower end of said base-piece and normally folding thereinto with its own groove uppermost, a rod pivotally connected with the other 'end of said arm and normally resting in the groove of the latter, a plate normally covering all said devices, and adjustable connections between said rod and plate, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A hand-rest comprising a grooved basepiece adapted to be set into the upper face of a desk-top, a grooved arm mounted on a transverse pivot near the lower end of said base-piece and normally folding Ithereinto with its own groove uppermost, its other end projecting beyond the base-piece and being recessed, a block pivotally mounted in said recessed end, a rod passing through and adj ustably seated in a hole in said block, means for locking the block with th@ rod at right angles to the arm, and a plate ad justably connected with the opposite end of said rod normally resting in a mortise in the upper face of said desk-top and having a lip at its lower edge, all as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN E. FREDERICK.

IVitnesses:

A. H. HALL, A. D. WrLsoN.

ICO 

